Orochi
Orochi were monstrous sea serpents originally from Sakkaku, the realm of trickster spirits. Fortunes & Winds, p. 49 Appearance Orochi were massive sea serpents with shimmering green scales. Their huge eyes seemed golden in the sunlight and jet black in artificial illumination. They were surprisingly intelligent and social creatures considering their size, but notably lacking in a sense of humor. Orochi might speak the languages of ningyo and trolls. Creatures of Rokugan: Third Edition, p. 157 Sakkaku While the Orochi sought little more than contemplation, their fellow inhabitants the malicious mujina, took endless glee in disturbing them with capricious practical jokes. When Ningen-do was created, the Orochi waited for a long time, expecting it was another Mujina trick. They observed the Ningyo race, watching how the City of Night fell and the Ningyo were devolved to a feral state. As the mortal world fell into ruin and the scattered survivors began to hunt the Ningyo for their immortality, the Orochi determined the time had come to act. Enemies of the Empire, p. 181 Ryujin Orochi leader Ryujin made a deal with the Ningyo, News of Rokugan (Imperial Herald v2#18) invoking his vengeance upon any who harmed his people. Orochi kept any ship they sunk, along with the souls of those aboard them. they made massive ship graveyards, haunted by the spirits of wicked sailors. Creatures of Rokugan, p. 59 Alliance with the Ningyo The humorless orochi had grown tired of the endless pranks and nonsense of their brethren, and wished for safe haven in the Mortal Realm. The ningyo agreed to let the orochi share their cities, and in return the orochi promised to always protect the ningyo from harm. The Legend of White Shore Lake, Imperial Histories (Imperial Herald v2 #15), by Rich Wulf In this way the more powerful orochi found a way to escape into the mortal realm. They were massive leviathans that guarded the ningyo cities well. Borders Sealed The Mujina had also observed Orochi's interest for Ningen-do, and realized their favorite victims were planning an escape. The tricksters used their magic to seal the borders between Ningen-do and Sakkaku. Only Ryujin and a handful of his fellow Orochi escaped. The rest were left behind to languish in the Realm of Tricksters. Enemies of the Empire, p. 182 Alliance with the Mantis Clan Crossing the Borders Again One of the orochi which remained trapped in Sakkaku, Tsurayuki, eventually came into contact with two Mantis Clan samurai trapped in the Realm of Tricksters, Tsuruchi Ki and Moshi Minami. The Orochi made a pact with them, where in exchange for binding the Orochi's spirit with the souls of worthy Mantis samurai the Orochi would lend their strength when the Mantis needed it, and allowed them to return to Ningen-do. Four Winds, p. 9 They were used by the Mantis Clan in the War of Fire and Thunder. Way of the Minor Clans, p. 17 Side effects Minami no longer was able to speak with the kami, and the Mantis shugenja refined Minami's spell and made it safe for further experimentation. On it worked Yoritomo Kaigen NPCs of the Jade Championship (Imperial Herald 2.24), by Brian Yoon and the master summoner Komori, Lord of the Bat Clan. News of Rokugan (Imperial Herald v2#18) The Nezumi The nezumi discovered the relationship between the orochi and the Mantis, but they did not trust the sea creatures for unknown reasons. Secret from the Mantis (Path of Hope flavor) War of Fire and Thunder The orochi Storm Riders gave the Mantis supremacy over the Phoenix near the coastline in the War of Fire and Thunder. In 1167 the Master sensei of the Storm Riders noticed the marine serpents were moving sluggishly. He feared that it might be a result of the colder weather, which the serpents might not have experienced in their home realm. The War of Fire & Thunder, Part 2, by Shawn Carman End of the Orochi Alliance Several months after the end of the war, it was found that the first among the orochi to join the Mantis, Tsurayuki, was almost at the end of its term of servitude. Upon fulfilling its debt, Tsurayuki turned upon the Mantis vessels it had accompanied, destroying six and killing over a hundred men in the process. Moshi Sayoko allowed the orochi to have freedom to roam the seas. Masters of Magic, p. 61 The Orochi Riders fallen out of favor for that drewback. The Emerald Championship in the RPG (Imperial Herald v2#23), by Shawn Carman Wild Orochi In 1172 a portal to Sakkaku was opened during the Destroyer War. The Orochi which appeared from it were destroyed by Mantis and Dragon forces, but a few escaped into the sea. The State of the Empire 10 More Orochi attacking ships were seen in 1198, during the War of Serpents. In this time the raiders were the Dark Naga. Rulebook story (Forgotten Legacy), by Shawn Carman and Rusty Priske Ivory Kingdoms During the Age of Exploration were discovered a strange breed of orochi that lived in the coastal waters and in some parts of the deep jungle rivers. Unexpected Allies 2, p. 42 Known Orochi * Hisaki * Hyotaru * Kensaku * King Orochi * Kyuji * Tamafune * Tsurayuki See also * Orochi/Meta External Links * Orochi (Crimson and Jade) Category:Rokugani Language Category:Articles with Pictures Category:Orochi